Australian Plants Society Ballarat District Newsletter March …...Australian Plants Society...

Australian Plants Society Ballarat District Inc. Newsletter MARCH 2020 1

Australian Plants Society Ballarat District

Newsletter – March 2020

MONTHLY MEETINGS ON THE 2ND WEDNESDAY at ROBERT CLARK HOTICULTURAL CENTRE GILLIES STREET ENTRANCE – GATE 3 or 4

FURTHER DETAILS SEE INFORMATION BOX

COMING EVENTS

WEDNESDAY 11th MARCH 2020

Monthly Meeting at 7.30 pm

Guest Speaker: Ade Foster - Travels in

North Western Australia in August 2019

Ade is an active member of APS Geelong,

keen traveller, photographer, and an

engaging speaker. He is a fan of Australian

plants, but says he is certainly not an expert.

He developed his interest through

photographing native orchids, and now has

an entirely 'native' garden, mostly Grevilleas.

His wife, Penny, and he, spend a couple of

weeks in Western Australia on a semi-

regular basis and his talk will be about the

plants they found around Kalbarri, Geraldton

& Jurien Bay on their last trip in 2019.

WEDNESDAY 8th APRIL 2020 - Monthly

Meeting at * 2.00 pm * (Note: Afternoon

Meeting)

Guest Speaker: Donna Thomas - Ballarat

Botanical Gardens Indigenous Plant

Conservation Project

WEDNESDAY 13th MAY

Monthly Meeting at 2.00 pm.

Hands on activity – ‘Propagating Native Plants, Cuttings, Seed Raising, Grafting’

Please bring secateurs & gardening gloves. There will be no showing of specimens.

WEDNESDAY 10th JUNE - Monthly Meeting at 2.00 pm.

Guest Speaker Kevin Ritchie - Bonsai with Australian Natives

SOME MORE UPCOMING DATES:

June 26th, 2020, Friday, 11.am. Set-up for APS Ballarat District Winter Flower Show

June 27th & 28, Saturday & Sunday, Winter Flower Show, 10.00am – 4.30pm

October 16th, 2020, Friday, 11.am. Set-up for APS Ballarat District Spring Flower Show

October 17th & 18th, Saturday & Sunday, Spring Flower Show, 10.00am – 4.30pm

This Olearia tenuifolia, ‘Shiny Daisy Bush’,

specimen was shown by Bruce Cadoret at the

February meeting.


February Excursion Report:

Wetlands Walk and Talk with Roger Thomas

On Sunday16th of February, 16 members took the opportunity to be

guided by Roger Thomas at Macarthur Park Wetlands for the APS

Ballarat Annual Bird and Plant Walk.

On a cloudy morning with a keen wind we meandered about the

wetlands and enjoyed the Bird and Plant Life there. Several members

were familiar with the area and use the area for recreation. The

wetlands were constructed in 2014, have become quite established,

and they appear to work well.

We saw many water birds, and many small birds in the dense shrubs.

Interestingly few birds were seen on high, or over-flying. The

plantings of trees and medium shrubs are native and many

indigenous, with aquatic and water plants adjacent to the edges.

Consensus was that it is well designed and landscaped, however

would benefit greatly from some maintenance and weed control. We

enjoyed the morning and greatly appreciated Roger’s guidance and

expertise and thank him very much. Warren Hill

We saw seven Common (Indian) Mynas fly past us early in the excursion. While this species has

been seen there once previously by a BirdLife Ballarat club member, it was a first there for Roger.

This detested introduced (to Australia) bird has ever so gradually been increasing in numbers in the

Ballarat district in the last 25 years. Its nesting here seems to have eluded observers until nestlings,

about ready to leave the nest, were seen at the entrance of a hollow in a tree branch at Learmonth

recently. Their presence here so far though, interestingly, is to the north, northwest and west of

Ballarat, so far not in Ballarat proper and its immediately attached suburbs. Fon Ryan

Rhonda Humphries contributed this relevant item on wetlands. Roger Thomas wrote in the Ballarat Courier re International Wetland Day: “Wetlands are at their most

interesting when the water level starts to recede. It is then that there are more warm shallows and muddy

edges, providing more habitat for more

species. Wetlands are perhaps best known

for their waterbirds, but a good wetland

supports much more. It is home for

yabbies, fish, frogs, numerous aquatic

invertebrates and, of course, the wide

range of aquatic plants that supports them

all. The better wetlands have a range of

habitats, such as shallow edges, reedy

areas and deeper open water.”

THE BIRD TALLY Pacific Black Duck Little Black Cormorant Purple Swamphen Eurasian Coot Long-billed Corella Masked Lapwing White-faced Heron Magpie-lark Australian Magpie Little Raven Welcome Swallow Superb Fairy-wren Red Wattlebird Australian Reed Warbler Black Swan Dusky Moorhen Grey Teal Grey Fantail Brown Thornbill (heard) Crimson Rosella Chestnut Teal Black-winged Stilt White-plumed Honeyeater European Goldfinch Common (Indian) Myna New Holland Honeyeater Grey Shrike-thrush Spotted Turtle-Dove Galah Willie Wagtail Common Bronzewing White Ibis A good tally of 32 species

Photo: Rhonda Humphries

Pacific Black Ducks at Macarthur Park

Wetlands

Photo: Rhonda Humphries

Black-winged Stilts at Macarthur Park

Wetlands


SPECIMENS Exhibited at the

February 2020 Meeting:

Ruth Marton – Melaleuca laterita, Grevillea johnsonii, Grevillea plurijuga, Xerochrysum bracteatum Ian Lynch – Brachyscome augustifolia, Plectranthus parviflorus ‘Blue Spires’, Prostanthera aspalathoides, (Scarlet Mint Bush), Chrysocephalum apiculatum ‘Desert Flame’, Erimophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ (yellow), Erimophila glabra (grey leaf form), Grevillea sericea, ‘Pink Midget’ Bruce Cadoret – Olearia tenuifolia (Shiny Daisy Bush), Calocephalus citreus ‘Lemon Beauty-Heads’, Grevillea ‘Bush Lemons’ Judith Lewis – Correa glabra (Bendigo form), Correa glabra var. turnbulii, Correa backhouseana, Crowea exelata, Eucalyptus macrantha

================================== Activities, Excursions, Speakers and Events!

Events Coordinator Gladys Hastie is currently

planning these and would like to receive members’

suggestions and recommendations. Please

contribute, and contact Gladys on:

P 53415567, Email [email protected]

She has included this list of Events that might be of

interest to members for starters.

February 17th – April 17th. Australian Plants

Revealed: an exhibition highlighting banksias and

unique Australian flora. Karwarra Native Botanic

Garden and Nursery, Kalorama.

March 14th & 15th. Saturday & Sunday. Growing

Friends Autumn Plant Sale. Australian Gardens,

Cranbourne. 10am – 4pm, featuring Banksias &

small Eucalypts.

APS Geelong, Australian Native Plant Sale. Sat

4th April.

‘Wirrawilla’, 40 Lovely Banks Rd, Lovely Banks. A BBQ, refreshments, books sales, children’s

activities and a great selection of native plants.

July 25th & 26th Growing Friends Winter Plant Sale, Australian Gardens, Cranbourne

October 24th & 25th 13th FJC Rogers Seminar ‘Mint bushes and allied genera’. Saturday venue: Eltham

Community and Reception Centre, 801 Main Road, Eltham.

Xerochrysum bracteatum shown by Ruth Marton. “A nice pink one that came up.” Photo: Fon Ryan

Chrysocephalum apiculatum ‘Desert Flame’ shown by Ian Lynch. Photo: Fon Ryan


February Guest Speaker Report

Fon Ryan:

‘A Celebration of Digital Photography’

Fon’s presentation was a slideshow of a selection

of photographs, month by month, over the

previous year.

Subjects included:

• Highlights of the specimens from each meeting

• Interesting events from the Learmonth district

• Landscapes (several favourite hills), cloudscapes, sunsets, Lake Learmonth and surrounds

• Australia Day fireworks 2020 (Ballarat)

• A fascinating time-lapse sequence of a tree being felled on the Ryan property

• Some members’ photos e.g. Peter Dalman’s excellent capture of spoonbills on a dead tree

from the 2019 February Bird Walk

Fon began his talk by explaining 4 key principles of photography: Composition, Cropping, Settings

and Exposure. As he showed the slides Fon commented on some of these aspects in relation to

particular photos.

We enjoyed and appreciated Fon’s presentation and thank him very much.

===========================

Paddy Marshall is thrilled to have a

Grevillea bipinnatifida, Grape

Grevillea, growing well, and flowering

for two years now, after previously

having no success with its progeny

‘Robyn Gordon’ and ‘Supreme’.

Paddy is excited and delighted.

Photographs taken by daughter Jenny.

===========================

Could members, long-term

or new, consider writing

an item for the newsletter.

It does not have to be

long. Something about

your garden. Something

you have seen in the field.

Or send in a photograph or

two.

Photo: Fon Ryan


Macarthur Park Wetlands

A female, left, and a male, right, Chestnut Teal.

A peek into the Wetlands.

A White-faced Heron easily finds a perching spot in this water-bird friendly habitat.

Photos: Rhonda Humphries


Macarthur Park Wetlands was constructed when the at-the-time very-stand-alone housing development, Macarthur Park, was built at Miners Rest. With more-recent housing developments starting to surround it,

and at only 9km from the centre of Ballarat, it is now virtually a suburb. The wetlands, at 2 hectares (5 acres) in total area, feature several ponds, extensive native plantings, and

plenty of paths. A bird tally of 32 species in 2 ½ hours demonstrates its bird friendliness (see page 2). This photograph, taken by member Rhonda Humphries, tells it all.

AFTERNOON TEA or SUPPER

Members please bring a plate of something to share

Deadline for April Newsletter: 25th March 2020

AUSTRALIAN PLANTS SOCIETY BALLARAT DISTRICT INC. Incorporation No. A0013127M President: John Hastie P: 5341 5567 Secretary: Position vacant PO Box 123W Ballarat West 3350 Treasurer: Ainslie Whyte PO Box 123W Ballarat West 3350 Newsletter Editor: Warren Hill [email protected] M: 0400 644 913 MONTHLY MEETINGS The SECOND WEDNESDAY in October, November, December, February, March, at 7-30pm The SECOND WEDNESDAY in April, May, June, July, August, September at 2-00pm MEETING VENUE ROBERT CLARK HORTICULTURAL CENTRE, Ballarat Botanical Gardens Access: GILLIES St. ENTRANCE – GATE 3 or 4 (or from Wendouree Parade, Afternoon Meetings only) CORRESPONDENCE aps_ [email protected] PO Box 123W, Ballarat West, Vic 3350 WEB: Australian Plants Society Victoria (APS Vic): www.apsvic.org.au NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS [email protected]

Thanks to all those who contributed reports or items for this issue

Australian Plants Society Ballarat District Newsletter March …...Australian Plants Society...

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